Han Dynasty Imperialism

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The Evolution of Rule in Han China and Rome

The rule among the Han dynasty and the Roman empire evolved over time to conform to the needs of prospective rulers. The Chinese and Roman rulers claimed power using unification of culture and claims to divinity. This effectively removed the traditional methods of elites and nobility, and transformed smaller regions into large, powerful states. The justification given for the imperialism of the Han and Romans evolved from from being conquerors to being divine and heavenly beings. Though the final outcome varied for both societies, the movement from warfare to religion based ruling remained constant in both over time.
New rulers were claiming the right to rule a powerful state, not a small region, …show more content…

When the Qin evolved into the Han, the ruler of Han dynasty had to be crafty when claiming power, as the region was already unified, and therefore had no reason to willingly accept new rule. The need for proper justification prompted rulers to claim the Mandate of Heaven and divinity, establishing themselves as divine kings who were obligated by the gods to hold power. The Han people were taught that, “the king is but the executor of Heaven,” and “the ruler is the basis of the state.” By providing the people with justification, the ruler is able to convince the people of the divine right to rule them, reducing the risk of upheaval and solidifying the ruler’s power. The idea of divine right and the Mandate of Heaven stemmed from the religious beliefs of China at the time. Ideas of Confucianism focused on the ethics of the individual, and that kings, or “sages”, have the highest ethical ideas and therefore are the best fit to rule. As the thinking in China evolved, religious thinking led people to believe that nature, gods, and kings were all connected. The gods willed a true sage to be king, and this was proven by the shifts in nature that followed. This shift from rule by being conqueror to rule by being the divine one, whose duty it was to rule, showcases how the change in rule, unification, and the development of a central belief system can alter a society over

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